6 Health Benefits Of Coffee

Last updated Aug 8, 2018

Us coffee lovers are often told that coffee isn’t good for us, however, research has found that this definitely isn’t the case! In fact coffee isn’t just an energy boost, it actually brings lots of health benefits and advantages to our daily lives when introduced as part of a healthy diet.

1. Lower your risk of type 2 diabetes

Although it’s not set in stone, coffee is known to have lowered type 2 diabetes. In a study of 128,000 healthcare professionals who were asked about their diet over two decades, 73,000 of them developed type 2 diabetes. Those who boosted their coffee intake by more than a cup a day, had an 11 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes. Those who cut their consumption by more than a cup a day, had a 17 per cent higher risk of the condition.

2. Coffee can lead to a healthier liver

Not only does coffee give you a comforting and warming feeling, but a recent study has suggested that it decreases your chances of developing liver cancer. Dr. Woon-Puay Koh, from Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, led a team of researchers who investigated how coffee might help minimize deaths caused by liver cirrhosis. Coffee intake was linked with a lower risk of death from cirrhosis, and researchers noted this was particularly the case for non-viral hepatitis related cirrhosis.

3. Guards against depression by reducing stress levels

Around a quarter of the population will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year, and depression is now a term widely used by people all over the world. Depression is talked about more than it has been previously, and people now have a better understanding of this mental health issue.

Scientists are discovering that coffee could have the potential to reduce emotional and physical stress levels – so take advantage of your office coffee services! In the same way that coffee affects brain chemistry to keep you alert, its effects on neurotransmitters may help your body fight off symptoms of stress and stress-related diseases.

Coffee can be therapeutic, and research suggests that women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day are less likely to feel depressed, additionally women should drink more coffee to boost their mood, as serotonin is released, making you feel fab!

4. May help prevent skin cancer

Studies suggest that drinking coffee can reduce melanoma, as vitamins that protect against UV rays are released when coffee beans are exposed to heat, and coffee’s Polyphenol compounds help keep the body’s cancer-fighting processes under control.

5. Can help prevent Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

Unfortunately Dementia is a common condition that affects around 800,000 people in the UK. Your risk of developing dementia increases as you get older, and the condition usually occurs in people over the age of 65. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of Dementia and effects almost 500,000 people in the UK.

Most studies support coffee’s favourable effects against cognitive decline, dementia or AD, therefore coffee drinking may be associated with a decreased risk of dementia/AD. This can be mediated by caffeine and/or other mechanisms like antioxidant capacity and increased insulin sensitivity.

Eating healthy and exercising are vitally important, but drinking coffee may be incredibly effective as well.

6. Can decrease risk of Parkinson’s Disease

There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, so the best we can do is try to prevent this from occurring, and as part of a long-term study of the Honolulu Heart Program, a team of researchers examined the relationship between coffee intake and the incidence of Parkinson’s disease. Men who did not drink any coffee were five times more likely to exhibit symptoms of Parkinson’s disease than men who drank more than 28 ounces of coffee each day. Consumption of caffeine from other sources such as green tea, black tea, chocolate and soda was also associated with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.

So if you’re a coffee lover, next time somebody tries to advise you against it, you can present them with these facts! Why not not make a fresh, rich, hot cup of coffee yourself, using coffee beans, rather than opting for instant coffee?

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